Veneer-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. E. 1?. SMITH. VENEER MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.20, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor Eda in 173772 2772/ witnesses 1% 4 No. 839,661. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

B. F. SMITH. VENEER MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1905. v

2 sums-sum a.

witnesses Attorney Chm/BM EDI/VIN F. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VENEER-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 250,968.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VeneerMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to veneer-cutting machines, and more especially to machines of this type in which a stationary knife is employed and the stay-log carrying the timber to be cut is moved past the said knife during the cutting operation.

In a veneer-machine of this type it is usual and necessary to provide some means for pitching the knifethat is, changing its angle to the face of the wood to be out.

In this class of machines also, especially where the knife is of considerable length, it is necessary to adjust the pressure-bar so that the distance between it and the edge of the knife throughout the length of the knife will be the same, thus insuring regularity in the character of veneer. The knives, however, are ground frequently to secure a sharp cutting edge, and it is found that soft spots will occur along different parts of the edge where the grinding-tool will cut deeper than at other parts, so that if the pressure-bar remains perfectly true while the edge of the knife itself varies in contour the same irregularities in the character of veneer will occur as in the case where the knife-edge is true and the pressure-bar itself is not so.

l/Vith these considerations in view the objects of the present invention are, generally stated, to provide a veneermachine of the above character in which the knife-bar, and consequently the knife carried thereby, may be adjusted about a center approximately coincident with the cutting edge of the knife, so that the pitch or inclination of the knife may be varied as desired to look in or out of the wooc without at the same time changing materially the position of the cutting edge, and to provide in such a machine me ans for adjusting the pressure-b ar simultaneously throughout its length and thereafter by additional devices to spring and hold the pressurebar at various points of its length to conform to the irregularities that may exist in the knife-edge, so that under working conditions a perfectly regular and uniform character of veneer may result.

In the accompanying drawings is shown only so much of a veneer-machine of the general type referred to as will enable one skilled in the art to understand the application of the present invention thereto and its operation.

Figure 1 in side elevation shows one end of the knife-bar, presser-bar, and the carriage or support, the parts being broken away to the right, since the other end of the device is of substantially the same construction and need not be illustrated. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of Fig. 1 on the line a; at of Fig. 1, the parts being enlarged. Fig. 3 is a detail showing a part of the presser-bar carrier in section and its adjunctive parts. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the knife-bar, the presser-bar carrier, the carriage or support, and connected devices. Fig. 5 is a plan view representing the manner of supporting and adjusting the presser carrier-bar si1nultaneously throughout its length with relation to the knife-bar, the clamping-screw being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a detail crosssection 011 the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail crosssecti0n showin the clampingscrew for holding the presser-bar carrier in connection with the knife-bar.

In the present embodiment of the invention,A represents the carriages or supports, one located at each end of the machine for for supporting and carrying the operative parts, said carriages being movable by the usual feed devices toward and from the staylog by means of the side screws A, (represented in Fig. 1 but as these parts in their adj usting movements are of usual construction they need not be further described.

The carriages or supports A at each end of the machine are provided with end bearings A and have the rearward ends of said carriages or supports preferably inclined at A Figs. 2 and 4, all for the purpose as will presently appear.

Extending between the two carriages or supports A is the large casting or otherwiseconstructed part B, constituting the knifebar, the ends of which, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, are extended upward in the form of rests B, Figs. 1 and 4. The lower edges 13 of the rests B are preferably formed to correspond with the incline surfaces A of the end carriages, although of course it will be obvious that this special incline arrangement is not essential. The forward ends of the rests B are provided with bearings B having rounded lower surfaces 5, which rest upon the end bearings A of the carriages A, so that the entire knife-bar B may be moved about the end bearings A as will hereinafter appear. As a means for so moving the knife-bar B about the end bearings A an adjusting-screw b is provided, having a screw-thread at its lower end passing through a threaded opening in a portion of the rest B,

as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the knife D is supported upon the knife-bar B by means of a backing-bar d and is held to said backing-bar by suitable means, as the screw 01, an adjusting-screw d being provided for giving proper vertical adjustment to the knife D with relation to the knife-bar B. The special mounting of the knifeupon the knife-bar may be 'varied as desired, as such means form no part of the present invention.

Viewing Fig. 2, it will be noted that the edge 61 of the knife D is disposed a short distance below the line of end bearings A of the carriages or supports A, so that upon adjusting the position of the knife-bar by means of the screw 1) about the end bearings A the center of movement will be in substantial alinement with the cutting edge of the knife. In other words, the cutting edge of the knife is at the center of the circles on which the end bearings A are formed. In thus adjusting the knife-bar, and consequently the knife, to vary the inclinations or pitches with respect to the wood to be cut it will be seen that the edge of the knife itself is maintained substantially stationary in the line of center of motion about which the knife-bar B turns, while the lower part of the knife is moved to the right or the left about the edge of the knife as the center of motion to vary the inclination of the knife. Thus while the inclination of the knife itself may be readily varied to suit the character of material to be cut the thickness of the veneer cut from such wood may be maintained uniform, thus insuring regularity throughout the entire product of the machine.

It is essential, of course, that the carriages or supports and the knife-bar rest be held in rigid or fixed position during the operation of the machine, and this is effected by means of the set-screw d, Figs. 4 and 6, which passes through the Wall of the knife-bar B and a slot 61 in the side of the carriages A A, said set-screw being provided with a nut cl, by which the carriage and knife-bar may be clamped in their adjusted relation. Obviously to adjust the knife-bar, and consequently the inclination of the knife without disturbing the location of the edge thereof, it is only necessary to loosen the nut (i and manipulate the adjusting-screw b, after which the nut (i may be set up and the parts be then held in their adjusted relation.

Mounted upon and movable with the knife-bar B is the presser-bar carrier E, which is provided with a supporting-flange E at each end, which rests upon the upper surface B of the rests B, extending upward from the knife-bar B, through the devices which will be presently described.

The presser-bar carrier E is provided with a suitable recess 6, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) in which the presser-bar F is secured, the preferred means of securing the presser-bar in place being the screw f and a countersink f as will clearly be obvious from Fig. 3.

From the construction thus far described it will be obvious that as the knife-bar B is adjusted about the end bearings A of the carriages or supports A, to thereby vary the inclination of the knife D, the presser-bar carrier, and with it the presser-bar F, will be moved or turned about an axis passing substantially through the edge of the knife. Such movement of the presser-bar carrier is liable to carry the edge of the resser-bar out of its proper adjusted relation with the wood to be cut. To overcome this difficulty and at the same time to maintain the presser-bar carrier and its presser-bar in proper relation with the wood and knife, the supportingflange E of the presser-bar is provided with the adjusting-screws H, the ends of which bear upon the top surface of the rests B of the knifebar, whereby upon the manipulation of the adjusting-screws H the resser-bar carrier and its presser-bar may be properly adjusted to compensate for the swinging adjustment of the knife-bar, as described. In order to maintain the presser-bar carrier in rigid relation with the knife-bar and yet afford proper adjustment of the presser-bar carrier and presser-bar toward and from the edge of the knife, I provide a holding-screw K, the end k of which is screw-threaded into the rests B and passes through the slot 7c, formed in the supporting-flange E, a Washer k bearing upon the supporting-flange E above the slot 7c, so that upon clamping the holding-screw K the presser-bar may be fixedly secured in place as adjusted by the adjusting-screws H, as will be obvious.

Extending upward from the rests B are the lugs L, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) through which pass two adjusting-screws Z Z, one of which screws Z is screw-threaded in the lug or projection L and bears at its end against the edge Z of the supporting-flange E, while the other screw Z has a loose bearing in the lug or projection L and is provided with the head Z the end screw being screw-threaded into the supporting-flange E. By this last-described construction it will be obvious that upon a release of the holding-screw K and manipulation of the screws Z and Z the resser-bar carrier, and consequently the presser-bar F, may be adjusted toward and from the edge of the knife throughout its length.

If the presser-bar F and the edge of the knife D were absolutely true, the single adjustment by means of the screws Z and Z at either end of the machine, as above described, would be sufficient to bring the edge of the presser-bar F and the edge of the knife into correct alinement, so that at all parts through the length of the knife the presser-bar and the edge of the knife will be the same distance apart, thereby insuring a proper and regular cut of veneer. However, in a knife of the length carried by these machines, as well also as in the character of Presser-bar, it is impossible to secure correct alinement of the edge of the knife and presser-bar throughout their length by reason of the imperfections in either one or the other, and it becomes necessary for the best results to provide additional adjusting means to correct the relative positions of the presser-bar and knife-edge at any point in the length thereof.

To effect the last-named result-s, reference being had particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there are mounted in the presser-bar carrier rods M, provided at their ends with the two screw-threads m and m, the former being screw-threaded into the lug m of the presserbar carrier and the latter screw-threaded into the presser bar F, as shown in Fig. 3, the diameter of this screw-threaded portion of the rod M at the parts m and m being different, as indicated in Fig. 3. The end of this rod M opposite the screw-threaded portion is provided with the head m by which it may be turned so as to adjust the presser-bar positively at its lower portion, as will be obvious.

It will be noticed by referring to Fig. 1 that the individual adjusting-rods M are dis posed throughout the length of the presserbar so that should any portion of the presserbar after it has been adjusted throughout its length by means of the adjusting-screws Z Z be not in proper relation with the edge of the knife to secure the uniform character of veneer the individual adjusting-rods M, adjacent such portion, may be manipulated to thereby spring the presser-bar F at this point into its proper position. It is to be noted, of

course, that the amount of individual adjust ment at any point by means of the individual adjusting-rods M is small, and the spring in the resser-bar will be sufficient to permit this adjustment.

It will likewise be obvious that by making the double screw portions m m 011 the individual adjusting-rods M the adjustment by one rod would not affect the presser-bar at the position of another individual rod M, since the adjustment is positive and the presser-bar is at all times firmly held.

WVhile I have described the invention as being embodied in the specific form shown by the drawings, it is of course obvious that variations in specific details may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a veneer-cutting machine, the combination of supports or carriages disposed one on each side of the machine and provided with end bearings and inclined rearwardly-projecting portions, a knife-bar and knife supported between said supports or carriages and movable about said bearings, said knife-bar having inclined rearwardlyprojecting portions corresponding to like portions of the supports or carriages, and an adjusting-screw passing through one of said portions and bearing on the other for adjust ing the knife-bar and 'knife.

2. In a veneer-cutting machine, the combination of supports or carriages disposed one on each side of the machine and provided with end bearings and inclined rearwardlyprojecting portions, a knife-bar and knife supported between said supports or carriages and movable about said bearings said knife-bar having inclined rearwardly-projecting portions corresponding to like portions of the supports or carriages, and an adjusting-screw passing through one or said portions and bearing on the other for adjusting the knife-bar and knife, and a clamping device for holding the knife-bar in adjusted position.

3. I11 a veneer-machine, the combination of supports or carriages, a knife-bar and knife disposed between said supports or carriages, a pressure-bar carrier mounted upon the knife-bar, means lor adjusting the pressure-bar carrier and pressure-bar as a whole toward and from the knife, and independent means disposed at intervals in the length of the pressure-bar for adjusting portions thereof to compensate for irregularities between it and the knife-edge, said means comprising a series of rods each provided with two screw-threaded portions of different diameters engaging corresponding openings in the presser-bar carrier and resser-bar respectively.

4. In a veneer-machine, the combination of a knife-bar and knife, a pressure-bar carrier and pressure-bar, means for adjusting TJO & 839,661

openings in the presser-bar carrier and I0 presser-bar respectively.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN F. SMITH.

the pressure-bar as a whole toward and from the edge of the knife, and independent positively-acting means for adjusting difierent portions of the pressure-bar toward and from the edge of the knife to compensate for irregularities between them at such portions, said means comprising a series of rods each pro- Vided with two screw-threaded portions of different diameters engaging corresponding I Witnesses:

H. WHITE, EDWIN S. OLARKsoN. 

